Replying to a phising email

[Toecutter]

Anybody know where can I sell some email addresses to spammers?

--- On Sun, 10/25/09, Dear Yahoo subscriber <[email protected]> wrote:
From: Dear Yahoo subscriber <[email protected]>

Subject: UPGRADE YOUR EMAIL

To:

Date: Sunday, October 25, 2009, 10:47 PM

Dear Yahoo subscriber,

We will be conducting our regularly scheduled maintenance, to ensure that

we provide the highest quality in Internet connectivity and services to

customers. Your connectivity and services with us may be interrupted for

short periods during the maintenance window. We will also ensure minimal

disruption to services where possible.

In order to enable us perform quality maintenance on your Internet

access and e-mail service, please you must reply to this e-mail message

confirming your Yahoo account details with us.

Do confirm your account details below.

_____________________________________

1.First Name & Last Name

2.Email Address:

3.Email Username:

4.Email Password:

5.Retype Password:

6.Your Birthday:

7 Your Country:

_____________________________________

NOTE: Failure to respond to this e-mail message may result to technical

problems on your Internet access and e-mail service.

Thanks for your understanding, we wish you a pleasant day ahead.

Yahoo Technical Team of Service.

Dear Mr. Dear Yahoo subscriber,

I have a better idea:

Why don't you go eat a bowl of dicks....

 

[Big Shasta]

DUDE...They're totally gonna close your Yahoo account.....Not that I care, I just won the BUMFUKDEGYPT lottery....C-Ya SUCKERS!

 

[Fred W]

Wowsers. You'd think if they were actually trying to fool someone, since engrish appears not to be their native language, they might get a little help with their grammar...

I love fraudsters. They are endlessly entertaining.

When I was selling a Jeep Wrangler a few years ago on the AutoTrader web site I got to have a little fun with one.

Here's the initial email contact:

(Everything quoted below is copied/pasted from the emails as received, except for obvious edits for anonymity)

***VEHICLE LEAD***
 
The following lead was generated from AutoTrader.com's web site at
https://www.autotrader.comhttps://www.autotrader.com
https://www.autotrader.com. The listing is provided by AutoTrader magazine.
To view the vehicle, click the link below:

https://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?car_id=187948687https://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?car_id=187948687
https://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?car_id=187948687

 
 
VEHICLE INFORMATION
Make: Jeep
Model: Wrangler
Year: 1998
Price: 8500
Mileage: 63645
Body Style: Sport Utility
Color: Green
Cylinders: 6 Cylinder Gasoline
Transmission: Manual
Doors: Two Door
Stereo: Unavailable
VIN: 1J4FY19S5WP736195
Description: 1998 JEEP WRANGLER SPORT, 63,645 mi, 4.0L 6 cyl, 5 spd, hard and soft tops, go to
https://usershttps://users
https://users. adelphia.net/~ website for lots of pics and full details, $8,500, LONDONDERRY, NH 603-xxx-xxxx (CW34SL)
 
BUYER INFO
Name: Dicken Frost
E-Mail Address: [email protected]
Comments: |
 

HELLO,


I AM AN AUTOMOBILE DEALER/AGENT,RIGHTLY MY CLIENT IS INTRESTED IN YOUR VEHICLE, I NEED MORE INFROMATION ON THE RECENT CONDITION AND THE MILEAGE WILLING TO OFFER $8,300 IF AS ADVERTISED.

Yeah, "Dicken". That was what he was hoping to give me...

I decided to play along. My response:

Jeep is as advertised. In excellent condition and the mileage is accurate. Please see my web site for further details:
https://users. adelphia.net/~mywebsite

Fred W

Which netted me the following reply:

Hello!,
Thank you for your response,after discussing with
our client who really commended your vehicle from
autotrader updates/your response from enquiry my
client has instructed to move on with the deal at the
price of ($8,300),he said he will be going on a
vacation soon and will rest virtually all the
transaction on my shoulder and assign a shipper like
wise that i will work with and stressed that he will
be issuing out a cashier check of (15,500) which was a
refund payment of a cancelled order earlier made by
him but will be filed in your name,you are only
required to deduct the cost of your vehicle ($8,300)
and send the differece ($7,200) when payment gets to
you to a shipping agent whoose information will be
given to you as at when due, he will be needing the
fund to offset shipping charges, taxes and other
cosmetic repairs/touches,the agent will be responsible
for signing and transfering of title paper and also
pick-up.
So you are required to send me your NAME,ADDRESS
AND PHONE NUMBER for payment to be delivered to you
through courier services .All other information needed
in completion of this transaction will be given to you
in due time.
Dicken.

So I sent him my name address and phone number, all of which are listed in the public phone directory.

I figured this was still safe enough...

Here's what I got back from him:

Thanks for your information,
well i just want to inform you that the payment package for the property been bought from you will get to you in less than 10 days from today through EXPRESS REGULAR MAIL and my client said that i should inform you that you should consider your property sold and also make sure that every arrangement towards pick up from his agent will be tidy and fast,
 
You should also remove the property from the ad you posted it to avoid complications from other interested buyers
We also appologised for the delay in this transaction,the agent will be contacting you as soon as you receive the payment package so that the pick up arrangements will be concluded between you and the agent.
 
Once again you should consider your property sold and we thank you for your patience and
sincerity in this transaction.

At which I responded the same day:

That's great!!You don't mind if I call through to your originating bank and make sure it is good do you? Of course, then I'll just want to wait a good 2 weeks or so for that check to clear before I allow your "agent" to come and pick up the car and any "excess" funds. He won't mind that will he? Picking it up in person?

I can't wait to get a look at that check. I've never seen a counterfeit cashiers check before. It will make a great collectors item.

In the meanwhile, I think I'll just leave my advertisement active... Thanks.

Apparently "Dicken" doesn't read all of his email because 2 weeks later I received this:

Hello Fred
We are sorry for all the delay in your payment,my client advised on delivery of payment.
My client instructed that you send the extra balance of his money via MONEYGRAM INTERNATIONAL MONEY TRANSFER to the approved shipping agent and you are also required to provide the "address /present location" of the purchased vehicle, so that as soon as the agents receives the funds and the address / location from you, they will be able to seal-up the contract on pick-up and shipping arrangements with the prepaid-agent, for their pick-up and shipping services to be possible,i advise that you be swift in sending the balance to the agent,as it will enable a speedy process and to make sure that all paper works have
been taken care of before heading for pick-up.
 
This is the AGENT's Details that you would need to send the money via MONEYGRAM MONEY TRANSFER as he will need these funds to settle some fees and tax charges regarding their shipping arrangements and payment for their services before they can render their services.The agent has to present to you two valid forms of id before he will be allowed to pick-up the vehicle.
 
NAME: KISHA BROOKS
ADDRESS; - 472 KINGS HWY
BROOKLYN, NY 11223
 
We have made enquiries from Moneygram and we have been informed that you would be required to pay some charges as cost of the money transfer to the agent. Our customer is aware of these transfer charges and has agreed on these terms, so they have instructed that you go ahead and deduct the transfer charges from their balance money that you would be sending to the agent.
As soon as you have made the transfer, Please forward the transfer details to the agent via the agent's email that i have provided for you below.
 
AGENT'S EMAIL - ([email protected])
 
Please note that it is very important that you also forward to my own email a copy of the transfer details that you will be sending to the agent, as evidence that you have made the transfer to the agent and to indicate the date that the transfer was made,this is very important for record purposes.
I will be expecting your mail with a copy of the the money transfer details to the agent, so that he can schedule with you on the pick-up arrangments.
 
Please remember that you are required to forward the following money transfer details below, after you have done the transfer.
1 - Reference number
2 - Text Question
3 - Senders name and Address
4 - You are to state in your mail the exact amount that you sent after the transfer charges have been deducted.
 
You are advised to go any MONEYGRAM outlets or stores in your area to make the transfer for faster and easier transfer since we are running short of time.
 
We are expecting your response with the details as soon as possible, because our customer will need this to be done early enough to ensure that he has settled all financial aspects covering their pick-up /shipping arrangements, and to be assured that he has secured a booking with the agent in order to meet up with the shipping date. I will be expecting your mail with the copy of the transfer details so that the agent will proceed to
pick-up.
Once again, thank you for your sincerity as we await your swift response with the required details that will enable pick-up

And just a few days later, received this valuable memento:

There actually is a "Northeast Bank" in Auburn, ME. Of course, when the check number is run it is bogus. It seems they have used this bank in their scams before. clicky I forwarded a picture of the check and copies of the emails to the bank and the FDIC.

My final email:

"Dicken" (or whatever your real name is)
I have no intention whatsoever of forwarding any money, to anyone, ever. This is the oldest scam technique in the books. If your "agent" wants to come pick up the car tell him or her to bring cash. Otherwise, Get Lost!!

He finally took the hint. I think they (he and his "agent") may have eventually gotten caught.

 

[SnowAviation]

Good work Fred, I too got the email when selling a car on Craigs List.

I already knew the drill so I just ignored the email.

 

[Fred W]

Thanks. Yeah, I knew on first contact what it was all about. I just felt like messing with 'em.

 

[BikerGeek99]

I just felt like messing with 'em.

That's just friggin' awesome!!

But to think that there are people out there who fall for that crap. Wow.

 

[Mizz Bustanut]

Had a similar email recently. I was onto them right away. Haven't heard from them since I responded. Not sure why.

Went like this . . . . . .

Date: Saturday, October 17, 2009 2:25 PM

From:

To: gabriel tilden <[email protected]> Add to Addresses

Subject: Re: Payment and shipping Arrangements.........LHASA APSO PUPPPY – Male )

Size: 2 KB

Wonderful!!!! Hey, no problem at all. My local Sheriff will be responding with

the proper info so that we can get this deal going. I sure wouldn't want you to

send it to the wrong person or account. Sheriff Pickell loves this type of

bartering. It's right UP his alley. If you play your cards right, it could be

right up YOUR alley too, along with Bubba, you ***.

Don't bother me with your horse ****!!!

---- gabriel tilden <[email protected]> wrote:

*Hello ,

Thanks very much for your email,I think im Okay with the price of the ((

(LHASA APSO PUPPPY – Male ) for $300 ..I am willing to give an Additional

$50 for Holding it for me ,I am really interested in the ( (LHASA APSO

PUPPPY – Male )...i want to let you know that will be sending you with a

Certified Bank Cheque to make payments for the items,on the aspect of

shipping you dont have to worry on that,i have a Freight company which i use

in carrying my goods from any part of the world,i will instruct them to

come over to your location and pick-up the ( (LHASA APSO PUPPPY – Male )

as soon as its ready for pick-up. The cheque will be having some Extra Funds

on it which you will send to the Freight company via any [western union

money transfer] near you so as for them to come and pick-up the ( (LHASA

APSO PUPPPY – Male ) from your location.I will be needing this information

to issue the cheque to make payment for the ( (LHASA APSO PUPPPY – Male )*

* FULL NAME=

CONTACT ADDRESS=

PHONE NUMBER=*

*Pls get back to me if this is okay by you.*

*Best Regards*

* *

*Gabriel*